KARACHI, Dec 21: A top Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) official Friday blamed secretary for fine and ban imposed by the AFC for fielding over-age players in an Under-17 event.

The vice-president of the PFF, Ali Nawaz Baloch, held secretary, Agha Liaquat Ali, responsible for what he said country’s humiliation at international level.

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has slapped a two- year ban on eight Pakistani players and their manager, while PFF has been fined $10,000 for sending over-age players at Under-17 Asian championship organized earlier this year by the UAE.

“Since all the affairs are being run single-handedly by the secretary (Liaquat), he is responsible for the fine and ban by the AFC. It is ridiculous to blame coach for the ban as he was a foreigner and only responsible for training,” he claimed.

Nawaz, a former captain, said given the fact the AFC was keeping a close watch on over-age players in the tournaments, Liaquat should have ensured the ages of the players before sending them to UAE.

“It is easy to prepare fake documents. But it is also easy to determine age of the players by conducting wrist bone test which should have been done prior to team’s departure.

“Liaquat’s claim that PFF had carried out X-ray tests of the players were false. Why the players were found over-age by the AFC if PFF had conducted X-ray tests,” he questioned.

The official said the PFF secretary, who never visits the training camps, did not pay attention to the issue despite a lot of hue a cry raised by him and others earlier.

“I have been continuously saying the over-age players are coming into the training camps. Had the secretary paid attention and took serious steps we would not have been humiliated.

Apart from Nawaz, Salman Butt, the former PFF secretary had raised the issue by alleging that Palkistan fielded several over-age players in Under-19 Asian contest in Tehran in 2000.

His charge was, however, found baseless as the AFC had conducted random wrist tests during the event.

Ghulam Abbas Baloch, another vice-president of the PFF, said although the PFF was relying on the then coach, John Layton, for checking the age of the players, it was PFF’s responsibility to make sure over-age players were not included in the squad.

“I fully agree that it is basically PFF administration who should have determined the ages of the players before the departure of the squad,” the former striker said.

Former junior team coach Layton, who trained the Under-17 outfit, was also of the opinion it was PFF’s responsibility to ensure no over-age player was in the squad.

“Preparation of forged documents is not difficult in Pakistan. The PFF knew the problem. Over-age players from different departments were coming to the camps. It is the PFF which should have determined the age of the players before sending the squad,” Layton had told Dawn before leaving for England.

Former senior team coach, Jozef Herel, in his report to the PFF president, had also urged the federation to curb the inclusion of over-age players into the squads.